Healthy Holiday Travel Essentials

The holiday season is all about spending time with loved ones. However, if you are traveling, it can get pretty hectic. In the chaos of travel prep, it’s easy to forget those essentials that’ll make getting to your destination a little smoother. Here’s what to pack to help you stay healthy:

Packing hand sanitizer, workout gear, a first aid kit and healthy foods to eat on the go can help make holiday travel smoother.

Hand Sanitizer: Cold and flu viruses are transmitted by touching your eyes, nose or mouth. To help reduce your chances of getting sick, pack hand sanitizer to use when washing your hands isn’t an option.

Healthy Eats: Pack nutritious on-the-go options like vitamin C-rich oranges, frozen strawberries or kiwis. Eating a well-balanced diet while traveling can help you avoid stomach upsets, as well as provide the body with the nutrients needed to help fight off illnesses. And, if you’re flying to your destination this holiday, you may also want to skip dehydrating beverages that contain alcohol or caffeine. This will help avoid further drying out your mucous membranes — a natural barrier to infection, which are already compromised because of the cold, dry air in the cabin.

Workout Gear: When traveling, it’s easy to skip your regular fitness routine, but being prepared with the right gear can help keep you on track. Even a few minutes of physical activity can do wonders for your emotional and physical wellbeing. One study from the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that exercise may be beneficial in reducing flu and cold in the elderly.

First Aid Kit: Be sure to include any necessary prescriptions in your first aid kit. And, if you start to get that run down feeling, you’ll want to have Oscillococcinum within reach to help reduce the duration and severity of flu-like symptoms, such as body aches, headache, fever, chills and fatigue.*